From Java, Indonesia Satay is believed to have originated in Java (Indonesia) in the early 19th century. It was influenced by Middle Eastern kebabs, brought to Southeast Asia by Arab traders.
Skewered and grilled meat, seasoned with spices and eaten with a sauce, became popular across the Malay Archipelago.
📖 Arrival in Singapore
Malay & Javanese Immigrants In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Malay and Javanese immigrants brought satay into Singapore. It quickly became a favourite street food among the local Malay community.
Early satay sellers would carry charcoal grills on their shoulders and sell skewers along the streets at night.
📖 Evolution in Singapore
By the 1940s–1960s, satay became a hawker centre staple.
Singapore developed its own style:
Meats like chicken, beef, mutton (and sometimes pork in Chinese versions).
Always served with peanut sauce, ketupat (rice cakes), onions, and cucumber.
One of the most famous hubs was Satay Club, which started in the 1940s at Beach Road, later moved to Esplanade in the 1970s, and finally closed in 1995.
🌟 Today
Satay is part of Singapore’s UNESCO-recognised hawker culture.
Best enjoyed at hawker centres such as Lau Pa Sat (famous Satay Street), East Coast Lagoon Food Village, and Chinatown Complex.
